POLITICO Playbook: Why Mueller’s end is only the beginning

Special counsel Robert Mueller is expected by some to deliver his report soon. | Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

DRIVING THE DAY

BREAKING OVERNIGHT … REUTERS’ JAMES MACKENZIE in Islamabad and ROD NICKEL in Kabul: “Two U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan”: “[T]he NATO-led Resolute Support mission ... gave no further details and withheld the names of the service members until next of kin were informed.” Reuters

WHY MUELLER IS ONLY THE BEGINNING … IF YOU TALK TO CAPITOL HILL DEMOCRATS PRIVATELY, you will hear something surprising about what they expect from ROBERT MUELLER: Many of them expect absolutely nothing. Several top Democratic lawmakers and aides tell us privately that they are certain the report will be a dud.

IF THAT’S THE CASE, the White House will immediately make the argument that it’s time for Congress to shutter its investigations into the president. But Democratic probes into PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP are going to drag on regardless of the Mueller report. The committees are looking into things that have nothing to do with Russian interference -- the president’s company, security clearances, handling of classified information, decision-making in the White House and Cabinet scandals, for example.

FRANKLY, DEMOCRATS believe even if Mueller releases a report with nothing spectacular, that’s only the beginning for the Hill.

THE COUNTDOWN … “Letter from deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein offers potential road map to special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe,” by ABC’s Jon Karl: “There’s no shortage of speculation on the special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, much of it totally uninformed.

“But we don’t need to speculate on the scope – the man who appointed Mueller has already given us a potential road map on what to expect from the special counsel. The bottom line: Do not expect a harsh condemnation of President Donald Trump or any of his associates if they have not been charged with crimes.“The road map comes in the form of a little-noticed 12-page letter written by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein last June to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley. The letter ... offers a brief history of special counsel investigations and actually quotes former and future Attorney General William Barr who appointed three special counsels during his time as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush.

“In the letter, Rosenstein makes it clear he believes the Department of Justice will not – and cannot without violating long-standing Department of Justice policy – include disparaging or incriminating information about anybody who has not been charged with a crime. ... Sources familiar with the investigation believe there are no more indictments coming from the special counsel. If Mueller follows the guidance of the man who appointed him and supervised his investigation, he cannot publicly disparage those who have not been charged with a crime.” ABC …The letter

JARED WATCH -- “Cummings demands docs on Kushner’s alleged use of encrypted app for official business,” by Andrew Desiderio and Kyle Cheney: “House Democrats are raising new concerns about what they say is recently revealed information from Jared Kushner’s attorney indicating that the senior White House aide has been relying on encrypted messaging service WhatsApp and his personal email account to conduct official business.

“The revelation came in a Dec. 19 meeting — made public by the House Oversight and Reform Committee for the first time on Thursday — between Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), the former chairman of the Oversight panel, and Kushner’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell.

“Cummings ... says in a new letter to White House counsel PatCipollone that Lowell confirmed to the two lawmakers that Kushner ‘continues to use’ WhatsApp to conduct White House business. Cummings also indicated that Lowell told them he was unsure whether Kushner had ever used WhatsApp to transmit classified information. ‘That’s above my pay grade,’ Lowell told the lawmakers, per Cummings’ letter.” POLITICO …The letter

Good Friday morning. MIKE BLOOMBERG on Thursday to the Bermuda Executive Forum in NYC: “To start a four-year job, or maybe an eight-year job, at 79 may not be the smartest thing to do. But if I had thought I could win, I would have, but I just couldn’t see a path to where I could get the nomination. ... It’s just not going to happen for somebody like me on a national level starting where I am unless I was willing to change all my views and go on what CNN called ‘an apology tour.’

“Joe Biden went out and apologized for being male, over 50, white. He apologized for the one piece of legislation which is actually a pretty good anti-crime bill, which if the liberals ever read it, most of the things they like is in that bill. They should have loved that. But they didn’t even bother to read it. You’re anti-crime, you must be anti-populist.

“And so everybody else, Beto, whatever his name is, he’s apologized for being born [laughter]. I mean, I don’t mean to be unkind. And a lot of people love him and say he’s a smart guy, and some day if he wins I’d certainly support him.” Video

FT: “EU leaders have moved the Brexit cliff-edge back until April 12 in a move that gives an embattled Theresa May a tight window to secure MPs’ backing for her deal at a third attempt or plot another course.” FT

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SCOOP … BLOOMBERG’S SALEHA MOHSIN and JENNIFER JACOBS: “Trump Said to Consider Stephen Moore for Federal Reserve Board”: “Moore, a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation and a long-time supporter of Donald Trump, is being considered by the president for a seat on the Federal Reserve Board, according to two people familiar with the matter. Moore, 59, was the founder of the conservative Club for Growth and served on the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal. He was a senior economist on the Congressional Joint Economic Committee and was an economic analyst for CNN.” Bloomberg

-- “Drug Company Protections Are Latest Stumbling Block for Nafta Rewrite,” by NYT’s Ana Swanson: “President Trump’s ability to get his revised North American Free Trade Agreement through Congress may hinge on a little-noticed provision governing intellectual property protections for new pharmaceutical products. Congressional Democrats have seized on measures in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that establish protections for drug companies, saying they are a boon to the pharmaceutical industry and could undermine efforts to make American health care more affordable.“The issue is the latest complication in Mr. Trump’s yearslong effort to rip up Nafta and rewrite the rules of trade with Canada and Mexico. ... Democrats ... are also looking for revisions to the trade deal’s pharmaceutical provisions, in particular a measure providing an advanced class of drugs called biologics 10 years of protection from cheaper alternatives.” NYT

FOR YOUR RADAR -- “Exclusive: U.S. threatens to derail meeting of Latam lender if China bars Venezuela,” by Reuters’ Lesley Wroughton and Roberta Rampton: “The United States on Thursday threatened to pull out of the annual meeting of the Inter-American Development Bank in China next week if Beijing refuses to allow a representative of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido to attend. ...

“Several sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that China -- one of the Venezuelan government’s few remaining international allies -- had proposed not inviting representatives from either the Maduro or Guaido camps to ‘de-politicize’ the meeting.” Reuters

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PROFILE IN COURAGE? … NYT’S CARL HULSE: “Trump’s Attacks on McCain Met With Silence From Many in Senate”: “Many Senate Republicans are as perplexed as they are perturbed about President Trump’s sustained attack on their colleague, John McCain. But few want to shout about it. Baffled as they may be over why Mr. Trump continues to vilify a man who devoted his life to his nation and suffered as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, that doesn’t mean that all of his former colleagues want to get caught in a feud between a president popular with Republican voters and a memory.

“Most have not publicly commented on Mr. Trump’s continuing character and policy assault on a man whom many served with for years. Attempts to reach multiple senior senators for their views and reactions were unsuccessful.

“They are scattered around the world and the United States on their weeklong break, but senators can find a way to make themselves heard if they believe the subject is important enough. There were some exceptions. ‘I just don’t understand why the president keeps returning to his dislike of John McCain and criticizing him, particularly now that he is no longer alive,’ Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine and a longtime friend and ally of Mr. McCain, said in an interview. ‘The president should refrain from any further criticism of John McCain, an American hero who served his country well.’” NYT

-- WAPO’S BOB COSTA, JOSH DAWSEY and SEUNG MIN KIM: “For Trump, attacking McCain is a way to appeal to his political base”: “Inside the powerful and populist wing of the party that is most loyal to Trump, McCain is not a revered war hero but a useful foil — encapsulating everything his core voters have come to loathe about establishment Republicans, from their support for the Iraq War to their opposition to Trump’s nativist agenda to their esteem for the Justice Department as it oversees the ongoing Russia investigation.

“By attacking McCain, Trump allies said Thursday, the president is stoking his supporters’ rawest emotions and suspicions about the GOP’s political elite.” WaPo

-- FACT CHECK: The president tweeted about McCain last weekend seemingly unprompted.

NEW … JAMES ARKIN: “Haslam meets with Pence to discuss possible Tennessee Senate run”: “Former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam met with Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday to discuss potentially running for Senate next year, according to a source advising Haslam. Haslam, who left office earlier this year after two terms as governor, has been publicly weighing whether to run to replace Sen. Lamar Alexander, who is not seeking reelection next year.

“Haslam and Pence spoke for about an hour at the White House, and Pence encouraged him to run, according to the source, who requested anonymity to discuss a private conversation. Haslam is seriously considering a campaign and will decide sometime in the next month. He has said multiple times publicly that he is weighing a campaign, and said three weeks ago that he was ‘wrestling’ with the decision.” More for Pros

JOHN BRESNAHAN and ANDREW RESTUCCIA: “Israel, anti-Semitism and 2020 fight on display as AIPAC gathers”: “The politics of Israel, anti-Semitism and the 2020 presidential campaign will move to center stage in Washington over the next few days as the powerful pro-Israel group AIPAC holds its annual policy conference and President Donald Trump prepares to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

“The dual meetings come as Trump pushes his party ever closer to Israel — most recently with a Thursday announcement that the U.S. will recognize Israel’s annexation of Syria’s Golan Heights — and Democrats face an internal debate over their party’s support for arguably the most important U.S. ally in the Middle East.

“This year’s three-day AIPAC forum will include appearances by Netanyahu and his political rival, Benny Gantz. It will also feature speeches from Vice President Mike Pence, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and an array of lawmakers from both parties.” POLITICO

COMING ATTRACTIONS -- “Obama to meet with freshman Dems next week,” by Heather Caygle: “Former President Barack Obama will meet with House Democratic freshmen on Monday, according to an invitation obtained by POLITICO. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is hosting the reception, which will occur Monday evening after House votes, to ‘celebrate the freshman class of the 116th Congress.’

“The event is only for members and limited to the 60-plus freshman class. ... The meet-and-greet will be held at the house of Esther Coopersmith, a well-known Washington hostess who served as representative to the United Nations in President Jimmy Carter’s administration.” POLITICO

TRUMP’S FRIDAY -- The president will leave the White House at 9:30 a.m. en route to Joint Base Andrews on his way to Mar-a-Lago. He will arrive at Mar-a-Lago at 12:25 p.m. Trump and first lady Melania Trump will meet with leaders from the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti and Saint Lucia at 2 p.m.

PLAYBOOK READS

PHOTO DU JOUR: People apply colored powder to each other during a Holi festival celebration in Ahmadabad, India, on Thursday, March 21. | Ajit Solanki/AP Photo

EYES ON THE SKY … KATHY WOLFE and BRIANNA GURCIULLO: “The need for speed:Why Congress and the FAA outsourced oversight to Boeing”: “Aviation unions and other critics offered dire warnings in 2004 when the Federal Aviation Administration proposed expanding the role of aircraft manufacturers like Boeing in deciding whether their planes were safe to fly: It would be ‘reckless,’ they wrote, would ‘lower the safety of the flying public’ and would lead to ‘ever increasing air disaster.’

“Fifteen years later, the FAA’s strategy of delegating much of its regulatory oversight to hundreds of employees at the companies it oversees may be too entrenched to reverse — even with the intense scrutiny on how Boeing’s troubled 737 MAX jet won approval to fly. The FAA has been acting at the direction of Congress, amid pressure from industry players like Boeing to help them compete with foreign rivals by speeding up approvals of new aircraft.” POLITICO

-- “Lion Air Crash Families Say They Were Pressured to Sign No-Suit Deal,” by NYT’s Hannah Beech and Muktita Suhartono in Jakarta: “The families were still mourning relatives lost in the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 in Indonesia when they were crammed into a hotel conference room a few weeks after the crash. Sign this form, they were told by employees of the low-cost carrier, and they would receive 1.3 billion rupiah, or $91,600. For those who lost breadwinners in the crash on Oct. 29, the money, government-mandated compensation for loss of life in an aviation accident, was welcomed.

“But that amount, while not insignificant for desperate families with bills to pay and children to school, was roughly the minimum they were entitled to receive under Indonesian law. And the conditions imposed by Lion Air before it would disburse the payments were complicated and shocking, with some legal experts questioning their legality.” NYT

TOP-ED -- JENNIE WILLOUGHBY in WaPo,“Is there life after disgrace? My ex-husband Rob Porter shows that is hard to answer”: “I don’t believe Rob should be forever barred from using his considerable professional skills and knowledge to make a contribution to our society. But Rob’s sudden return to the public eye is deeply troubling to me, because he has yet to candidly address the thing that should — that must — come first: his personal conduct during his two marriages.

“Rob has yet to publicly show regret or contrition for his actions. Giving him a voice before he has done that critical work elevates his opinions above my and Colbie’s dignity.” WaPo

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION -- “Betsy DeVos strikes out — in court,” by Michael Stratford: “Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ attempts to swiftly roll back major Obama-era policies at her agency are hitting a roadblock: federal courts. Judges have rebuffed DeVos’ attempts to change Obama policies dealing with everything from student loan forgiveness to mandatory arbitration agreements to racial disparities in special education programs.

“As a result, the Education Department is being forced to carry out Obama-era policies that the Trump administration had been fighting to stop — stymying DeVos’ efforts to quickly impose a conservative imprint on federal education policy over the past two years.” POLITICO

WHAT THE MILITARY SAYS … L.A. TIMES’ MOLLY O’TOOLE: “Marine Corps commandant says deploying troops to the border poses ‘unacceptable risk’”: “The commandant of the Marines has warned the Pentagon that deployments to the southwest border and funding transfers under the president’s emergency declaration, among other unexpected demands, have posed ‘unacceptable risk to Marine Corps combat readiness and solvency.’

“In two internal memos, Marine Corps Gen. Robert Neller said the ‘unplanned/unbudgeted’ deployment along the border that President Trump ordered last fall, and shifts of other funds to support border security, had forced him to cancel or reduce planned military training in at least five countries, and delay urgent repairs at bases.” LAT

MEDIAWATCH -- “Former Murdoch Executive Says He Quit Over Fox’s Anti-Muslim Rhetoric,” by NPR’s David Folkenflik: “[O]ne of Murdoch's former senior executives … says he left his job in late 2017 over the coverage of Muslims, immigrants and race by Fox News and other Murdoch news outlets.

“‘Scaring people. Demonizing immigrants. Creating, like, a fervor — or an anxiety about what was happening in our country,’ former News Corp. Senior Vice President Joseph Azam tells NPR in his first public comments on his former employer. ‘It fundamentally bothered me on a lot of days and I think I probably wasn’t the only one,’ he says. …

“Azam himself brings up an interaction with [Tucker] Carlson from two years ago. In June 2017, Carlson sent out this tweet from his personal account: ‘#Tucker: Why does America benefit from having tons of people from failing countries come here?’ Azam shot back: ‘If you come upstairs to where all the executives who run your company sit and find me I can tell you, Tucker. #Afghanistan.’” NPR

PLAYBOOKERS

HAPPY 50TH ANNIVERSARY to Mitt and Ann Romney. The couple celebrated Thursday by going to the Gonzaga vs. Fairleigh Dickinson NCAA basketball game and then went to Freshies Lobster in Salt Lake City. Instapics

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Ali Vitali, NBC political reporter. How she got her start in journalism: “I grew up loving television -- my parents have home videos where I ‘reported’ live from our family vacations -- and loving politics. When I interned at NBC’s ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,’ I saw that those two things could be fused and I was hooked. I started working at MSNBC.com soon after graduating from Tulane, reporting overnight, then producing on a show called ‘The Cycle.’ After that I landed as the NBC News embed on the trail with candidate Donald J. Trump. The rest, as they say, you can read in my Twitter history.” Playbook Plus Q&A

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About The Author : Anna Palmer

Anna Palmer is a senior Washington correspondent for POLITICO and co-author of POLITICO’s Playbook, the most indispensable morning newsletter for the biggest influencers in politics. Anna covers the world of Congress and politics, and has successfully chronicled the business of Washington insiders for years. Her stories take readers behind the scenes for the biggest fights in Washington as well as the 2016 election.

She is also the co-author of New York Times and national best seller, "The Hill to Die On: The Battle for Congress and the Future of Trump's America," which was published by Crown in 2019.

In addition to Playbook, Anna is also editorial director of Women Rule, a POLITICO platform that is dedicated to expanding leadership opportunities for women at all stages of their career.

Prior to becoming POLITICO’s senior Washington correspondent, she was the co-author of the daily newsletter, POLITICO Influence, considered a must-read on K Street. Anna previously covered House leadership and lobbying as a staff writer for Roll Call. She got her start in Washington journalism as a lobbying business reporter for the industry newsletter Influence. She has also worked at Legal Times, where she covered the intersection of money and politics for the legal and lobbying industry, first as a staff writer and then as an editor.

A native of North Dakota, Anna is a graduate of St. Olaf College, where she was executive editor of the weekly campus newspaper, the Manitou Messenger. She lives in Washington, D.C.

About The Author : Jake Sherman

Jake Sherman is a senior writer for POLITICO and co-author of POLITICO’s Playbook, the nation's leading political newsletter. He is also the co-author of New York Times and national best seller, "The Hill to Die On: The Battle for Congress and the Future of Trump's America," which was published by Crown in 2019. Jake is an NBC and MSNBC political contributor.

Since 2009, Jake has chronicled all of the major legislative battles on Capitol Hill, and has also traveled the country to cover the battle for control of Congress.

Jake is a Connecticut native, and a graduate of The George Washington University — where he edited The GW Hatchet — and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Jake lives in Washington with his wife Irene and his son, and listens to an unhealthy amount of Grateful Dead and Phish.

About The Author : Daniel Lippman

Daniel Lippman is a reporter for POLITICO and a co-author of POLITICO's Playbook, the most indispensable morning newsletter for the biggest influencers in politics.

Before joining POLITICO, he was a fellow covering environmental news for E&E Publishing and a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in New York. He has also interned for McClatchy Newspapers and Reuters. During a stint freelancing in 2013, he traveled to the Turkish-Syrian border to cover the impact of the Syrian civil war for The Huffington Post and CNN.com.

He graduated from The Hotchkiss School in 2008 and from The George Washington University in 2012. Daniel hails from the Berkshires in western Massachusetts and enjoys playing tennis, seeing movies and trying out new restaurants in his free time.